Mini Impatiens plant named ‘Immivoil’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of mini  Impatiens  plant characterized by its small red purple flowers, freely flowering habit, dark green foliage, and bushy shaped growth habit with excellent basal branching.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Impatienswallerina.

Varietal denomination: ‘Immivoil’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct mini Impatiens plantbotanically known as Impatiens walleriana and referred to by thecultivar name ‘Immivoil’.

The new cultivar was developed in a controlled breeding program inEnkhuizen, Netherlands. The new mini Impatiens cultivar is characterizedby small red purple flowers, freely flowering habit, dark green foliage,and bushy shaped growth habit with excellent basal branching.

The new cultivar is propagated from cuttings resulting from the cross inMarch 1999 of the proprietary mini Impatiens selection identified as‘Q138-4’ as female parent and the proprietary mini Impatiens selectionidentified as ‘Q138-3’ as male parent. ‘Q138-4’ is not commerciallyavailable and has not been patented. ‘Q138-3’ is not commerciallyavailable and has not been patented.

The present cultivar was selected in August 1999 in Enkhuizen,Netherlands and has been repeatedly asexually reproduced by cuttingsover a period of several years. The distinctive characteristics of thisnew mini Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations of asexual reproduction. It takes 6 to 8 weeks to produce afinished plant, starting from a rooted plug and planted in a 10 cm pot,depending on the temperature.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Immiviol.’ These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Immiviol’ as a new and distinct mini Impatienscultivar:

-   -   1. Small red purple flowers.    -   2. Bushy shaped growth habit with many flowers on top of the        foilage.    -   3. Dark green foliage.    -   4. Excellent basal branching.

Plants of the new mini Impatiens differ primarily from the plants of thefemale parent selection in the following characteristics:

Plants of the new mini Impatiens have small red purple flowers, whereasthe plants of the female have large red purple flowers.

Plants of the new mini Impatiens differ primarily from the plants of themale parent selection in the following characteristics:

Plants of the mini Impatiens hve small red purple flowers, whereas theplants of the male have large red purple flowers.

Plants of the new mini Impatiens can be compared to plants of ‘Fifyviolet’ disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,557. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted by the inventor in Enkhuizen, Netherlands, theplants of the new mini Impatiens differed from plants of the cultivar‘Fify violet’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new mini Impatiens have dark green leaves,        whereas plants of the cultivar ‘Fify violet’ have green leaves.    -   2. Plants of the new mini Impatiens have red purple flowers,        whereas the cultivar ‘Fify violet’ had medium red purple        flowers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

This new mini Impatiens plant is illustrated by the accompanyingphotographic drawing which shows blooms, buds and foliage of the plantin full color, the color showing being as true as can be reasonablyobtained by conventional photographic procedures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctivecharacteristics of this new mini Impatiens. The data which defines thesecharacteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out inEnkhuizen, Netherlands. The plant history was taken on 20 week oldplants, blossomed under natural light in the field.

Color readings were taken in the laboratory under ambient light. Colorreferences are primarily to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The RoyalHorticultural Society of London.

-   The plant:    -   -   Classification.—Botanical: Impatiens walleriana.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary Impatiens walleriana selection            identified as code number ‘Q138-4,’ not patented.        -   Male parent.—Proprietary Impatiens walleriana selection            identified as code number ‘Q138-3,’ not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About 10-21 days at 22-23 degrees C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About 28 days at 16-24            degrees C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, and white in color.-   Plant description:    -   -   General appearance.—Compact, upright, outwardly spreading            and mounded plant habit.        -   Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous and freely            branching growth habit lateral branches potentially forming            at every node, dense and bushy shaped growth habit. Pinching            enhances branching.        -   Plant height.—About 10 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 23 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 7 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 5 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 5-20 mm.        -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Color.—RHS 147B Yellow-green with a few stripes anthocyanic            RHS 64A Red-purple.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement: Alternate, simple.        -   Length.—About 2 cm.        -   Width.—About 2.3 cm.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Apex.—Acuminate.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Slightly crenate with minute ciliation.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded foliage, Upper surface:            RHS 137A Green. Developing and fully expanded foliage, Lower            surface: RHS 137C Green. Venation, upper and lower surfaces:            RHS 147B Yellow-green.-   Petiole:    -   -   Length.—About 1.5 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 2 mm.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Color.—RHS 147C Yellow-green.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and habit.—Numerous small single flowers.        -   Flowers arise from leaf axils.—Freely flowering, usually            about 40 flowers and flower buds per lateral branch.        -   Flower position.—Above the foliage and typically face            upright or outward.        -   Flowers lasting.—About 5-7 days on the plant under            greenhouse conditions.        -   Flowers.—Persistent and not fragrant.        -   Flowering season.—Continuous through the spring and summer.-   Flower size:    -   -   Height.—About 2 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 1.5-2.0 cm.        -   Depth.—About 5 mm.-   Flower buds:    -   -   Length.—About 7 mm.        -   Diameter.—About 4 mm.        -   Shape.—Ovoid.        -   Color.—RHS 146D Yellow-green with RHS 64B Red-purple.-   Petals:    -   -   Quantity/arrangement.—Five per flower in a single whorl.        -   Length, banner petal.—About 1 cm.        -   Length, lateral petals.—About 1 cm.        -   Length, basal petals.—About 1.2 cm.        -   Width, banner petal.—About 1.3 cm.        -   Width, lateral petals.—About 7 mm.        -   Width, basal petals.—About 9 mm.        -   Shape.—Obovate to ovate.        -   Apex.—Rounded or slightly emarginate.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Color.—When opening, upper surface: RHS 61A Red-purple. When            opening, lower surface: RHS 71B Red-purple. Fully opened,            banner petal, upper surface: RHS 61A Red-purple. Fully            opened, lateral petals, upper surface: RHS 61A Red-purple.            Fully opened, basal petals, upper surface: RHS 61A            Red-purple. Fully opened, lower surface: RHS 71B Red-purple.-   Sepals:    -   -   Quantity/arrangement.—Five in a single whorl, one modified            into an elongated spur.        -   Calyx length.—About 3 mm.        -   Calyx diameter.—About 1 mm.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Color, upper and lower surfaces.—RHS 147C Yellow-green.        -   Spur length.—About 2 cm.        -   Spur diameter.—At flower, about 2 mm, at apex, less than 1            mm.        -   Spur color.—RHS 58D Red-purple at flower, at apex RHS 64A            Red-purple.-   Peduncles:    -   -   Length.—About 1 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 1 mm.        -   Angle.—About 45° from vertical.        -   Strength.—Strong.        -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Color.—RHS 148B Yellow-green.-   Reproductive organs:-   Stamens:    -   -   Quantity.—Five fused around stigma.        -   Anther length.—About 2 mm.        -   Anther color.—RHS 61A Red-purple.        -   Pollen amount.—None observed.        -   Pistils.— Quantity per flower.—One.        -   Pistil length.—About 3 mm.        -   Stigma shape.—Rounded.        -   Stigma color.—RHS 61A Red-purple.        -   Style color.—RHS 147A Yellow-green.        -   Ovary color.—RHS 147A Yellow-green.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.-   Disease and pest resistance: Plants of the new Impatiens have not    been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to    Impatiens.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of mini Impatiens plant named ‘Immiviol’, as substantially illustrated and described herein. 